Spirited Away
by miyuu.x.mirum
Summary: Luffy and the gang run into trouble when they encounter and help the apprentice of the cynical old witch, Yubaba. Loosely based on the plot and characters of the film Spirited Away.


**Spirited Away**

**The meeting.  
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The pale moonlight shone just enough to light the pages of Robin's book. She sat back against the mast, gently sipping her coffee, occasionally glancing around her

surroundings appreciatively. It was rare to have a silent night on the strawhat ship.

Placing her almost finished book beside her, Robin proceeded towards the kitchen for another refill of coffee. As she climbed down the ladder a passing shadow

overhead blocked the moonlight momentarily. In the distance, a thin silvery serpent-like creature writhed in the air like streaming smoke. Robin watched as it spiralled

uncontrollably in the air, she could see its bright blood fall like ruby rain. The creature- whatever it was- was clearly in pain.

Robin hurried back into the crow's nest for a closer look. As she leaned over the edge a third hand, a hana-hana hand, passed her a pair of Nami's binoculars. She

peered through them trying to get a closer glimpse of the creature. But as soon as she spotted it, the serpent fell into the water followed by hundreds of shining white

stars.

Waiting a moment to see if it would resurface, Robin gripped the binoculars tightly, her eyes completely focused on the still water.

Nothing appeared.

* * *

><p>Nami felt a gentle tug on her blanket, which she ignored, until the tug got rougher and more demanding.<p>

"What?" she asked impatiently, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Pulling off her blanket, Nami rolled out of her bed, looking around her empty room. Grumbling angrily under her voice, Nami was about to go back to sleep when a long

slender hand tapped her shoulder, pointed towards the deck then disappearing in a flurry of petals.

As Nami walked up the stairs towards the deck the sounds of her crewmates became louder. Luffy was stumbling sleepily over his own foot as he and Usopp made their

way to the main deck. Taking a casual puff from his cigarette, Sanji gaze fell onto Robin, who hadn't taken her eyes off the surface of the water since they arrived.

"Robin-chan, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Sanji called up to Robin, clearly too tired to go on his excessive love rants. The crew eventually quieted down,

waiting for Robin's reply.

Once she'd climbed down to the deck the crew gathered around her.

"Well…" she began, wondering how to phrase her explanation "There was a flying snake in the sky."

Everyone looked at her dumbfounded.

"A flying snake?" Zoro asked disbelievingly. "Are you sure you weren't dreaming?"

"Oi, if Robin-chan said she saw it, then it must have been here, idiot." Sanji said gruffly, before quietly adding, "Though I don't know how a snake can fly."

Zoro shook his head, willing himself not to start an argument this late at night. He looked back at Robin, who was watching the sea thoughtfully again.

"It was being chased by stars and fell into the water over there" she said, pointing at a patch of clear empty water. They all rushed to the edge of the boat. Robin

moved towards Nami and placed the binoculars in her hand. Nami looked at Robin steadily then back at the ocean.

Luffy jumped up to the top of the ship, surveyed the ocean with his hand over his brow like a salute, and then jumped back down again.

"There's nothing there! Oi Robin are you sure it was here?" he asked. She nodded.

* * *

><p>There was a loud splash as the anchor was drawn. The ship jogged suddenly. Franky sat at the helm, steering the ship with Nami giving directions. The sunny moved<p>

slowly, to not disturb the water or accidently hit the creature they were looking for.

"Ah I can smell something!" Chopper waved his hoof to the right. Floating on the surface of the water, was a single white paper bird with strange writing written in

runny black ink. Robin looked at it closely. It looked like one of the flying stars.

"Shikigami!" Brooke's high pitched voice broke Robin's concentration. He pointed at the paper with a shaking finger.

"What?"

"Shikigami. They are witches spirits!" He said, gesturing wildly at the markings on the paper. _Yubaba._

Yubaba. Robin recognised that name. She was the insanely rich owner of a large bathhouse, though the details of her guests and practices remained unknown. What

was known, however, was Yubaba's reputation for her frightful personality.

"Right here!" Chopper held a flashlight on a particularly dark spot of water. There was a glint from under the surface of the water. Sanji untied his shoes and rolled up

his sleeves while Franky stretched his limbs. Both dived into the water.

The crew watched in extended silence as they waited for Sanji and Franky to surface. With only the dismal light from Chopper's torch allowing them to track their

crewmates- in case anything happened- the crew made sure to be extra vigilant, despite the fear and anxiousness some of them were feeling.

Bubbles started to form as Sanji and Franky gasped for air. As they paddled towards the ship, no one could take their eyes off the limp mass on Franky's shoulders.

"Hey reindeer! *cough* this kid's not movin', do something!" Franky called as he struggled to keep the child out of the water. Luffy pulled them both out of the water

quickly, curious to see what- or who- they had found.

They laid the child down on the grassy deck. His dark hair splattered across his extremely pale face, and his deep cuts stained the deck red with blood.


End file.
